1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to signs and sign assemblies, and more specifically, to portable and collapsible sign assemblies requiring a reduced time and effort to assemble and deploy as compared to signs of a more permanent and fixed nature, particularly for use in emergency response and unexpected road traffic control situations.
2. Background Information
Portable and collapsible traffic control display signs and sign assemblies for warning motorists and pedestrians are well known in the prior art. The existing sign assemblies consist of two main components: a display sign which presents a message and a sign assembly base to support the message-bearing display sign. The display sign and sign assembly base are either permanently connected or can be manually connected when deploying the sign assembly for use. In general, these portable and collapsible sign assemblies are intended to be quickly deployed for a temporary duration and therefore, designed to be easily assembled, located, disassembled, and transported by small road crews or just one person. Examples in the prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,984 to Kulp et. al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,258 to Lang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,178 to Hillstrom, U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,023 to McVey, U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,889 to Knapp, U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,778 to Belobraydich et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,687 to Dorstewitz, U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,256 to Leach et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,178 to Foley et. al., and U.S. Pat. App. 2003/0033743 (Hillstrom). Additionally, sign assemblies and individual components of sign assemblies are offered for sale by numerous companies, including Emergency Responder Products, LLC.
However, despite the many advances achieved in portable and collapsible display signs and sign assemblies, there remain certain drawbacks in the prior art which the present invention is meant to address and overcome. Specifically, the prior art consists of sign assemblies in which the display sign and sign assembly base are designed as separate and distinct components which at most are related by a mechanical connection. Most of the prior art contemplates a traditional four-legged sign assembly base, while others disclose a tripod or A-frame sign assembly base. Regardless of the type of sign assembly base design in the prior art, the maximum extent of any relationship between the display sign and its support frame which communicates the intended message and the sign assembly base is in the form of a mechanical connection, such as a hinge or bracket which serves to connect the display sign support frame to the sign assembly base while the sign assembly is in its collapsed or deployed states, or both. While the prior art discloses portable and collapsible display sign assemblies, the unrelated nature of the display sign support frames and sign assembly bases disclosed in the prior art results in separate user actions being required in order to deploy both the display sign support frame which supports the message and the sign assembly base. These multiple steps required to deploy both the display sign support frame and the sign assembly base result in a more time-consuming and complex process to deploy the sign assembly. None of the prior art offers a portable and collapsible sign assembly in which a connective tension relationship exists between a fabric covering and all parts of the sign assembly frame, including both the display sign support frame and sign assembly base. This design, in which all components of the sign assembly possess a connective tension relationship to one another, enables the deployment of the entire sign assembly as a single composite unit in one user-initiated motion. By reducing the number of necessary steps to deploy both the display sign support frame and sign assembly base, the entire sign assembly becomes less complex and easier for users to deploy, can be more quickly deployed from its collapsed state, and more likely that users will use the sign assembly in needed situations rather than not using the sign assembly due to user intimidation caused by the complexity of deployment or a user belief that the sign assembly takes too long to deploy.